Fig. 2

Elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (≥ 15) in COVID-19 bacterial co-infection patients is independent of dexamethasone treatment within 48-h of hospital admission. Post-admission laboratory trends for COVID-19 inpatient encounters pooled from both the UAB and OLHS cohorts and stratified by confirmed, suspected, and no bacterial co-infection and 48-h dexamethasone treatment. Mean laboratory values with standard error bars from day of admission (day 0) to 4 days post-admission are shown for patients with A dexamethasone treatment within 48-h (solid lines) and B no dexamethasone treatment within 48-h (dashed line), all stratified by COVID-19 co-infection status. Statistical significance was assessed using Bonferroni corrected t-tests: (p < 0.0001 = ****/####, p < 0.001 = ***/###, p < 0.01 = **/##, p < 0.05 = */#). Reference group (red): Confirmed co-infection 48-h post-admission blood culture (+). Comparison group 1 (light blue, *): No co-infection. Comparison group 2 (dark blue; #): Suspected co-infection 48-h post-admission blood culture (−). UAB, University of Alabama at Birmingham cohort; OLHS, Ochsner Louisiana State University Health—Shreveport cohort